Knight Transportation is leaning on PR support from Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher as it makes a hostile bid for rival USA Truck.
USA Truck rebuffed Knight's unsolicited $9-per-share offer on Sept. 26, the same day Knight went public with the bid. Both companies are publicly traded.
Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates counsels USA Truck on the IR front.
Phoenix-based Knight said Sept. 30 that it has increased its stake in USAT to 11.3% of outstanding shares and is talking to the company's largest shareholders.
Joele Frank vice cair Andrew Brimmer, partner Andrew Siegel, and managing director James Golden advise Knight.
USAT, based in Van Buren, Ark., said Knight's offer "substantially" undervalues the company and is not in the best interests of shareholders. It also chided the company for going public after rebuffing a USAT offer to meet.
Knight said its offer – worth $242M including assumption of USAT debt -- is a 39% premium on USAT's Sept. 25 closing price and values the company at $95M.
USAT adopted a shareholder rights plan last year, after posting a $6.1M third quarter net loss, to protect against a takeover. Second quarter 2013 revenue was $115.5M, up 7.7% over the previous year.
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.